Delosperma plant named ‘Coconut Crush’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of Delosperma plant named ‘Coconut Crush’ that is characterized by its floriferous blooming habit, its white flowers, its very compact and tight mounds of foliage that do not become long or leggy during the summer growing months, its strong re-blooming habit during the entire growing season and into late fall, its small plant size, its uniform rooting habit, and its uniform blooming period with other plants in the series.

Botanical classification: Delosperma hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Coconut Crush’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is co-pending with U.S. Plant Patent Applications filed for plants derived from the same breeding program that are entitled Delosperma Plant Named ‘Banana Blast’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 16/350,513), Delosperma Plant Named ‘Fig Fusion’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 16/350,511), Delosperma Plant Named ‘Pumpkin Perfection’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 16/350,509), Delosperma Plant Named ‘Saucy Strawberry’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 16/350,514), and Delosperma Plant Named ‘Tangerine Tango’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 16/350,510).*

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR

The Applicant asserts that no publications or advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale, or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant less than one year prior to the effective filing date would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Delosperma plant of hybrid origin, botanically known as Delosperma ‘Coconut Crush’ and will be referred to hereinafter by its cultivar name, ‘Coconut Crush’. The new cultivar of Delosperma is a hardy herbaceous perennial grown for use as a landscape and container plant and is particularly suitable as a groundcover.

‘Coconut Crush’ arose from an ongoing breeding program by the Inventor in Hudsonville, Mich. The objective was to obtain a new series of Delosperma cultivars with more floriferous blooming habits, smaller and more compact and uniform plant habits, and blooming periods that are the same amongst all cultivars in the series when grown under the same conditions.

The Inventor made a controlled cross in July of 2014 in his test garden in Hudsonville, Mich. between an unnamed proprietary plant from the Inventor's breeding program, reference no. 275-3, as the female parent and pollen that was pooled from unnamed proprietary plants of Delosperma as the male parent. The exact male parent is therefore unknown. The Inventor selected ‘Coconut Crush’ as a single unique plant in June of 2016 from the resulting seedlings.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by tip stem cuttings in April of 2015 in Hudsonville, Mich. Asexual propagation by tip stem cuttings has determined the characteristics to be stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘Coconut Crush’ as a unique cultivar of Delosperma.

-   -   1. ‘Coconut Crush’ exhibits floriferous blooming habit with an         average of 53 flowers per plant as a 10-week-old plant grown in         a 1-quart container started from a 128-cell plug.     -   2. ‘Coconut Crush’ exhibits white flowers.     -   3. ‘Coconut Crush’ exhibits very compact and tight mounds of         foliage that do not become long or leggy during the summer         growing months.     -   4. ‘Coconut Crush’ exhibits strong reblooming during the entire         growing season and into late fall.     -   5. ‘Coconut Crush’ exhibits a small plant size reaching an         average of 3.8 cm in height and 38 cm in width.     -   6. ‘Coconut Crush’ exhibits a uniform rooting habit that occurs         in just 10 days.     -   7. ‘Coconut Crush’ exhibits a uniform blooming period with other         plants in the series.

The seed parent plant of ‘Coconut Crush’, no. 275-3, differs from ‘Coconut Crush’ in having a 30% taller plant habit, 42% less flowers, and flowers with centers that are tinted yellow. ‘Coconut Crush’ can be most closely compared to the cultivars ‘Jewel of Desert Moonstone’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,491) and ‘WOWDW7’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,599). ‘Jewel of Desert Moonstone’ is similar to ‘Coconut Crush’ in having white flowers and a flowering period of late spring through fall. ‘Jewel of Desert Moonstone’ differs from ‘Coconut Crush’ in having less flowers; 37 flowers per 10-week old plant, a taller plant height reaching a height of 55.88 cm and 71.12 cm, less floriferous re-bloom producing only an average of 9 flowers, and foliage that is lighter and more green-yellow in color. ‘WOWDW7’ is similar to ‘Coconut Crush’ in having a similar blooming habit during the summer, flowers that are white in color and succulent leaves that are green in color. ‘WOWDW7’ differs from ‘Coconut Crush’ in having flowers that are 40% larger in size, less flowers; 41 flowers per 10-week old plant, a larger plant size reaching an average of 10 cm in height and 36 cm in width, and a less tight and less compact plant habit. ‘Coconut Crush’ can also be compared to cultivars with co-pending patent applications from the same breeding program, which have the same blooming periods. ‘Banana Blast’ differs from ‘Coconut Crush’ in having yellow flowers, ‘Fig Fusion’ differs from ‘Coconut Crush’ in having pink flowers, ‘Pumpkin Perfection’ differs from ‘Coconut Crush’ in having orange flowers, ‘Saucy Strawberry’ differs from ‘Coconut Crush’ in having red-pink flowers, and ‘Tangerine Tango’ differs from ‘Coconut Crush’ in having red-orange flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as observed on 3-month-old plants of ‘Coconut Crush’ as grown outdoors in two-quart containers in Hudsonville, Mich.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of ‘Coconut Crush’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the flowers of ‘Coconut Crush’.

The colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Delosperma.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of 3-month-old plants of the new cultivar as grown outdoors in 9-cm containers in Hudsonville, Mich. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2015 Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—Blooms heavily from June 1 through July,             then re-blooming into late October in Michigan.         -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Plant habit.—Clumping and mounded, compact ground cover.         -   Height and spread.—An average of 8 cm in height and about 21             cm in diameter.         -   Hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zones 6 to 9.         -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to             diseases or pests has been observed.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, 199A in color.         -   Root development.—Cuttings root uniformly in 128-cell plugs             in 6 weeks, 128-cell planted into a 9-cm pot or quart pot             will finish and be in full bloom at 9 to 10 weeks after             planting.         -   Propagation.—Stem tip cuttings.         -   Growth habit.—Moderate. -   Stem description:     -   -   Shape.—Round.         -   Stem color.—145A.         -   Stem size.—Lateral branches; an average of 2 cm in length             and 1 mm in diameter.         -   Internode length.—An average of 5 mm.         -   Stem substance.—Succulent.         -   Stem surface.—Young; moderately glossy and glabrous, mature             becomes woody.         -   Stem strength.—Young; moderately strong, mature; strong.         -   Branching habit.—Freely and very densely branching, both             basal and lateral, an average of 13 lateral branches per             basal stem, 40 basal stems per plant. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Ligulate, oblong and narrow.         -   Leaf substance.—Succulent, thick.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Cuneate.         -   Leaf apex.—Acute.         -   Leaf venation.—Venation not distinguishable.         -   Leaf margins.—Entire.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite to whorled.         -   Leaf surface (upper and lower surface).—Slightly glossy,             sparsely to moderately pubescent with very short glandular             hairs; too small to measure.         -   Leaf color.—Young and mature; 138A, base 138C.         -   Leaf size.—About 1.5 cm in length and 3 mm in width.         -   Leaf quantity.—Average of 12 per basal branch.         -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Flowers solitary, terminal.         -   Flower number.—Densely floriferous, quantity ranges, 7 to 10             per basal stem.         -   Flower fragrance.—Faint, sweet and pleasant.         -   Flower aspect.—Mostly held upright.         -   Flower longevity.—A few days, self-cleaning.         -   Flower type.—Single.         -   Flower size.—Average of 1 cm in diameter and 5 mm in depth.         -   Flower buds.—Broadly ovate to oblong in shape, an average of             5 in diameter and 1 cm in depth, color; N144A.         -   Calyx.—Rotate in shape, average of 2 mm in depth and 4 mm in             diameter.         -   Sepals.—5, rotate, narrowly ovate in shape, margin entire,             an average of 5 mm in length and 2 mm in width, acute apex,             cuneate base, both surfaces matte, inner and outer surface             is N144A in color.         -   Petals.—An average of 30 per flower, rotate and slightly             curved downward, narrowly oblanceolate in shape, surface is             smooth and glossy on both surfaces, margin entire, apex             acute, base cuneate, an average of 5 mm in length and 1 mm             in width, color; opening and fully open flowers upper and             lower surface; NN155C.         -   Petaloids.—An average of 15 per flower, rotate and near             vertical surrounding stamens, lanceolate in shape,             moderately to highly glossy on both surfaces, margin entire,             apex acute, base cuneate, an average of 3 mm in length and             0.5 mm in width, color upper and lower surface; NN155C.         -   Peduncle.—Average of 3.2 cm in length and 2 mm in diameter,             held vertical to outwards, surface dull and glaucous, color;             142B.         -   Pedicel.—None. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Pistils.—5, an average of 1 mm in length, pistil, style and             stigma are not distinguishable, triangular shaped, 143A in             color, ovary is 143A in color.         -   Stamens.—Average 40, anthers; dorsifixed and narrowly oblong             in shape, an average of 0.5 mm in diameter, 11A in color,             filaments are up to 5 mm in length NN155D in color, pollen             is abundant in quantity and 17A in color.         -   Fruit and seed. None observed. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Delosperma plant named ‘Coconut Crush’ as described and illustrated herein. 